FAYETTEVILLE, ARK. ? Arkansas put an end to No. 17 Kansas University’s five-game baseball winning streak, handing the Jayhawks a 2-1 loss Tuesday at Baum Stadium.
The loss, the fourth by one run for the Jayhawks (16-5), was just KU’s second setback in its last 13 games.
With the game tied 1-all in the bottom of the eighth inning, KU starter Ryan Knippschild was called for a balk with runners at first and second. After the runners advanced, the next batter squirted a ball through the right side, allowing the go-ahead run to score.
Matt Tribble led off the ninth by reaching on an error and wound up at second with nobody out, but couldn’t score. Tribble went 0-for-4, ending his school-record 20-game hitting streak.
Knippschild (4-1), who before the game was named the Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week, allowed one earned run on six hits in 72¼3 innings, but suffered his first loss.
Knippschild was honored by the Big 12 for the week of March 4-10. He had a career-high 12 strikeouts en route to his first career complete, an 8-1 victory last weekend against Western Michigan. He did not walk a batter and allowed six hits — five of which were singles — and one unearned run.
The Jayhawks return home Friday to play Oral Roberts. First pitch is 4 p.m. at Hoglund Ballpark. KU then travels to Tulsa for the final two games of the series Saturday and Sunday.
